The MTA is getting a new chief development officer, and it is someone with years of experience developing on land owned by a transportation organization.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed Silverstein Properties president of World Trade Center development Janno Lieber, 55, to his new position in an announcement Thursday. Lieber was instrumental in rebuilding the WTC complex for Larry Silverstein's firm over the past 14 years. Silverstein has a ground lease for the site with the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey. He will start his new MTA job in late May.
In his new position, Lieber will head several capital initiatives to increase capacity to the MTA system and be in charge of all MTA real estate development as well as private-public partnerships.
Among his long-term projects, Lieber will be working on ambitious plans like extending the Second Avenue Subway to 125th Street, connecting the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal, bringing Metro North railroad into Penn Station, improving mass rail access to JFK Airport and improving Long Island Rail Road's service and capacity.
"Janno Lieber has a proven track record of innovative success managing multi-billion dollar projects in the private sector and deep experience in transportation," Cuomo said in a statement.
After the announcement by Cuomo, Silverstein said Lieber had been the glue that held together massive projects in his organization, such as the completion and leasing of buildings at 4, 7 and 1 World Trade Center, the Sept. 11 memorial and museum and the opening of the Oculus Mall.
"While it is always sad to lose a colleague, as a New Yorker, I'm thrilled that Gov. Cuomo has asked Janno to take responsibility for some of the largest and most complex projects in the region," Silverstein said.
Lieber replaces Michael Horodniceanu, who retired at the end of March.
Before working for Silverstein Properties, Lieber worked as a senior vice president for Lawrence Rubin Co. He also served as deputy assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Transportation during the Clinton administration.
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